´óÏó´«Ã½

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I must say as an Asian English Football fan...its just amazing to see your Prime-Minister being so passionate and involved of the game...inspired i must say of the footballing culture...although his prediction of the Liverpool Villa game is just ridiculous

Headache cures are always welcome.

If we get the world cup all ambassdors can come round and enjoy the gazebo of joy!

So Dan, what did you steal, admit you stole didnt you, you stole something ministerly didnt you!!

apparently steaming pyjamas are bad.

Noted!

Lord fesslewick

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Cameron said a lot of good things, though I admit I'm not a fan of him or his party in general. I liked his prediction of 6-0 to Villa this weekend as well, there's something about Villa and that scoreline this season isn't there!

Good blog and cracking programme as always. Focus has got a lot better these past few years, keep up the good work Dan.

Good afternoon Dan,

One thing I have always wanted to know...Number 10's door always looks so shiny on TV, but you never see anyone polishing it or re-painting it...Don't suppose you did?!

I really do hope our bid doesn't fail because of the Panarama programme, I can't help but feel they should have perhaps waited until after the winner was announced. I would love to know your honest opinion on this, but understand you may not wish to bite the hand that feeds you (although if you were to whisper it to me I wouldn't tell anyone, honest)!

Dick Dastardly

gimli floyd hasslebank
eowyn hargreaves

thats my lot

just realised i didn't post my message,

dan, did downing st produce any snacks, tea and biscuits per say, during the interview. it would be nice to see someone enjoy my taxes.

Helm Hammerhand

Marcus Ent

Sauron Atkinson
The Silbrasillians
The Return of Ledley King

Tough one this week. All I can think of is...Boromiroslav Klose

Dan, in that pic you look like a giant compared to the PM and Lineker! Are you Treebeard in disguise??


Peter Jackson

Rohan Elmander....

Gandalf Ramsey-- haha, nice one

Yeah interesting blog Dan, well done on getting DC to do the predos for this weekend (although as a United fan, not best pleased about his predo for us!!) But I assume he isn't the biggest football fan on earth...

Gary does look a little awkward on the same sofa as someone else for once! Let alone the PM!!

Luis Arangornes

Hobbit Bermudez (mexican left mid)

The Two Toures (Kolo and Yaya)
Galadriel Agbonlahor
Dani Elves

peter treebeardsley

also looks like he belongs in middle earth

They would have to play games against Athletico Bilbo and Heart of Midlothlorien wouldn't they?

BTW what were the Downing Street biscuits like?


David Wetherall

Theoden-nis Wise
Sau-ron Saunders

Lord of the Rings is certainly popular with the punter's on here.

What would your World Cup 2018 host city prediction be...? Do you think they will want to go to somewhere they haven't before, and take it to Russia?

It'll be mildly interesting to see what David Cameron has predicted, and how close he'll be. At least he was sporting in joining in.

Will be quite interesting to hear what Owen Coyle has to say as Bolton have certainly been a revelation this season. It is making a nice change to see some other clubs up there and doing well, such as Bolton, Sunderland, and Newcastle. It was rather bizarre to see last weekend that the Newcastle managers position was again a point of discussion. It would be utterly bizarre to destroy what they have up there considering how low they had sunk to previously in the Premier League. Some people never learn... if they don't give the guy a chance, and all future managers at that place, they will never win anything again (well in our lifetimes anyway).

Jack Regan

PS Hard to believe Gary Lineker is 50 already... the memories of 1990 are still pretty strong. All those childhood heroes are middle-aged!

Ray Doyle

From footy show presentor to polotical correspondant, not bad Dan.

But as others have inquired, was there no nosh available at number 10? It's nice that it has some posh furniture in there but we need to know what was on the snack trolley and you're usually the man with the plan when it comes to such info'.

I'd advise the PM not to give up his day job (as if he'd want to) as his predo skills leave a lot to be desired, but then again that's never stopped Lawro has it? ;p.

I nominate Calos Tevez as captain of your LOTR team. Always thought he looked a bit orc-ish.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien.

Nice piece Dan. Your pre-interview instructions with the PM seemed a bit like the interviewer on 'V' being told to put a positive spin on the Alien visitors or there 'd be consequences!

Question is did you ger to touch the Moon Rock...many people reach for the Moon and touch the stars...you get to do both (although the latter sounds a bit dodgy heh ;) ?

Good to see some genuine humanity from a guy whose political agenda I unfortunately disagree with. And a Villa fan to top it off.

I agree wholeheartedly with his predo of 6-0, and anyone who complains about it should lighten up!

Its only a game!

He seems to know as much about football as he does with his economics... the Americans seem to think so too!

Fortunately, he is a good PR man.. so he is backing this doomed bid.

Sadly we can take Mr Camerons 'interest' in football with a large pinch of salt. It's funny how politician's, particularly Tories, become interested in the beautiful game only when things aren't going so well in the political World?

Add in the kudos on 'one' appearing to be 'with the man on the street' by supporting the World Cup bid, and you can top off his latest exercise in cynicism.

I'm not surprised in the least that the ´óÏó´«Ã½ decided to send someone to interview their hero on his conversion to the WC cause.

Politicans (of any colour) and sport.

They don't mix.

#24
Seb Coe was a Tory peer, then going back a little further you have Colin Moynihan, another Tory, who was an Olympian I believe, and then Menzies Campbell of the Lib Dems who was also an athlete. I do agree though that it can be very cringeworthy when a politician makes a fool of themselves with regards to Sport, or Entertainment in general. However, its clear that its important to have strong political backing for Olympic and World Cup bids, and if its something that will help the economy, then the country needs all the cash it can get. If you're also a football fan, then you benefit even further.

Jim Hacker

It's good seeing the more human side of public figures like the PM coming through on here regardless of whether you agree with his policies.

Can't stand Lord of the Rings.

There is a pub in Summertown,Oxford called The Eagle and Child(the bird and baby as it's known locally)where a number of writers used to meet and discuss their work as part of a group called the Inklings.

It is said that JRR Tolein started reading more of his book to the club,at which CS Lewis said "Not more ** elves"

I'm with him on that one.

Colin Dexter

# 26 Dan Walker

Frustrations understood. But if FIFA are going to look into the behaviour of idiotic fans to not give England the World Cup, then surely the mass racism that players have been subjected to in Spain must count against them?

One incident in a minor league game caused Eto'o to try and leave the field of play, plus a meaningless international friendly with England was destroyed by racist chanting throughout. Would FIFA risk a high profile game going the same way as this?

Last night was a security issue, and i'd be suprised if the amount of stewards, officials and security was not at least doubled for a World Cup match.

Aled Haydn-Jones

So what did a helicopter bid do for your bid? Hold the jackets?

Did someone explain to Cameron that it was the wrong shaped ball and no friendly rucking would be involved at the meet-and-greet.

Did someone explain to Becks just why he was there?

Gimli Varadi

Wile E. Coyote

@25, this is the problem. Do we really want the World cup? Commercially it's actual benefits are being called severely into question. It recently emerged that once FIFA took their slice (virtually all of the revenue) that Germany didn't do very well at all out of their WC..................in fact there was a nasty suggestion that they didn't actually make anything at all.

In terms of prestige, well yes, it's always prestigious to host a WC event, but who benefits (long term) from 'prestige'?

As a sporting event, which the WC was once all about, the whole thing has long been a flop. FIFA's interference on the pitch has reduced the games to boring farces at groups stages, and in the latter stages the reward stifles the incitement to entertain.

Add in that very few 'real' fans see WC's any more, and you do wonder, beyond a chance for polticians and sporting figures to wave the flag, just what the fuss is all about?

If England win the World Cup bid this afternoon, a large slice of that will be down to Cameron turning up in Zurich and speaking to the deligates. The fact that Russia had all but been awarded it 2 days ago, shows what influence he has.

#25

I think you make very fair points. I have to admit, I wasn't aware of what you say about FIFA taking a very large slice of the revenue from Germany '06 (and presumably South Africa 10?) which would indicate a poor deal for the host country. I don't know whether the World Cup in Germany has increased football tourism there as I know quite a few people from this country like to go and watch games there. The attractions have been covered on this blog previously, but people like the fact you can stand on terraces there, have a drink, and enjoy what seems to be a safe, vibrant atmosphere.

I suppose another concern is that you don't just want any cash benefits being swallowed by what is already a very rich industry in this country, and that you want industries and businesses not directly involved with football to also benefit. If that happens, then I think it could be a worthwhile boost to the country. I guess a less tangible benefit is the boost it can give to the country, a la Euro 96, which seemed to give a real morale boost to many people - helped of course by England's performances.

You are right that many of the matches can be dull - I'm not sure what the solution is to that. You of course get plenty of exciting matches, but they are balanced by the mind-numbing ones.

It would be nice to think that a World Cup in this country would be organised more with the fans in mind when it comes to ticketing, as seems to have been attempted with the 2012 Olympics, albeit there are some very expensive tickets. Football does sadly seem to be more bothered about how much cash it can make. I hope a balance might be struck.

On another note, the blog seems to be very quiet this week... seems that whenever the link is moved from the main Sport page, that activity slows down on here.

Charlie Brooker

The Panorama programme was a huge piece of mischief making by the ´óÏó´«Ã½. Someone clearly decided to screen it at the most inappropriate week possible. I hope the ´óÏó´«Ã½ will have the steel to close themselves down throughout forthcoming World Cups if our bid fails. The credit will go nowhere near the ´óÏó´«Ã½ if our bid wins.

#35
Should possible corruption be swept under the carpet merely for the sake of convenience though? I was a little surprised that the three most publicised allegations related to quite a few years ago admittedly, but the IOC are clearly treating it seriously as they're investigating one of the FIFA people who is also on the IOC.

After all, corruption was sniffed out with the IOC in relation to Salt Lake City for the Winter Olympics, so if it exists in FIFA, then it should be rooted out. From the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s point of view, its probably inevitable they would screen the programme at the time of the bid - that's commercial sense. I guess it all depends where you see responsibility lying for all the issues involved.

Good King Wenceslas

No. 36: "commercial sense"? Since when has the ´óÏó´«Ã½ been a commercial operation? I thought it got its billion pound budget through the compulsory licence fee. The alleged corruption could have been kept back another few days in the national interest. Clearly Panorama has no national integrity and deserves every ounce of disgust that has been levelled at it.

Excellent blog Dan. What was the Downing Street food like?

And what about 'Radagast the Wes Brown'? Samuel E'to Gangee? Michael Eowyn?


Lee Young-Pyo

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Dear Daniel Son - quite an achievement young man getting to Downing Street, your mother must have been proud. So tell me, because I'm dying to know, what was Gary Lineker really like? Is he as nice off camera as he is on it? I sometimes wonder if he's secretly a little agressive off camera; with those ears who could blame him huh, or if he's the kind of guy who would give you his last rolo. Has he ever given you a Rolo Dan?

What does Cameron smell like? I imagine he'd probably smell a little bit of butter. And maybe leather.

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Sounds like Spain/Portugal and Qatar might do it... hmm.

Russ Abbott

Half right... money rules in football.

Gordon Gekko

#46 Dan wrote: 'I know a lot of you want me to comment on Panorama but I believe it would be unwise.'

..sometimes silence speaks volumes ;)

Good luck to Russia and Quatar. Do you think we'll be on stand-by again and that's why we're never picked?

Hate to say iy but the voting is gettng more loke Eurovision every time! :(

Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin

#47 Crikey my spelling's gone the way of our bid!!

Abdul-A-Bul-Bul-Amir

Very disappointed that England did not win but I can understand that Russia deserves to have a go. I have not read the Russian bid, so are they staging the WC in the whole country (9 time zones) or just in the European part of Russia?

From a security point of view Qatar is a huge gamble. Does Blatter know something about Al Quaeda'a future intentions that the CIA and MI6 do not? Plus Iran has the missile capabilty to cause the Qatar "air conditioning" to go pop.

#48
There's a real blast from the past! I can remember the advert now...

Apparently England got TWO votes! Sounds like some "promises" made to vote weren't kept.

Looking forward to Coyle's interview... could be an early contender for Manager of the Year if Bolton could keep it going. I like the way he has added some footballing style, if I may call it that, to their play this season.

Secret Lemonade Drinker

Are you suggesting by the sign off the other vote's got to be Chuck Blazer :( .....for the 'motherland' of football to be so loved heh!?

Et tu, Brute?

Instead of making wisecracks, why doesn't anyone at the ´óÏó´«Ã½ take some bloody responsibility?

You people make the majority of the UK, who are forced to pay for your profilgacy and massive downturn in standards, sick to the core.

So that'll be a 'no', then.

Hubris at its best.

And I stopped watching Football Focus to any great degree a long time ago. It's just awful.

But if what you say is true and the ´óÏó´«Ã½ had an inkling of what was going to happen, why was it kept quiet until now? Or wasn't it in the public interest?

(I see FIFA have released the 2018 logo already, btw.)

54

Will Football Focus also examine the erratic voting that occured in both 2018 1nd 2022 between the first and second rounds? Why would 2 delegates vote for Netherlands/belgium in round 1 but switch their preference to Russia in round 2 for 2018?

Such behaviour is bizarre to say the least.

"It's not my job to defend the ´óÏó´«Ã½"

You bloody work for it!!!

Unbelievable.

Tempers are bound to be a little frayed after the disappointment of yet another defeat for our game. Dan, you are really teasing us with that comment about Russia and Qatar being 'nailed on' for ages.

The rights and wrongs of the Panorama documentary are really questioned, it's time of it's showing that winds most people up. Surely it would have been much more effective after the vote - if we'd won (which seems unlikely now we hear what the voting was) - now any accusations about the winners will sound like sour grapes unfortnately.

By the way what were your whereabouts at the exact time of Shergar's disappearance Dan?

Violet Beauregarde

JoC,

That's the problem with an organisation like the ´óÏó´«Ã½ - they pass the buck with such bare-faced arrogance whilst dipping their fingers into our pockets.

Nobody is ever to blame at the ´óÏó´«Ã½. Just ask Ray Snoddy.

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"#58

If somebody said something about the company you work for, would you automatically defend it as well?"

I would argue that most people would expect an organisation like the ´óÏó´«Ã½ to be impartial.

I would certainly argue that if the ´óÏó´«Ã½ knew that the England bid was pretty much a waste of time then they should have flagged that up a long time ago and saved the country millions of pounds, instead of using it to cynically justify the Panorama 'revelations'.

Nothing against you personally btw Dan, just the crypto-socialist firm you work for.

The idea of vote fiddling being behind England losing the bid is a smoke screen. With such high profile coverage of 'rigging' recently (this week) even FIFA aren't arrogant enough to allow it to happen again (so soon).

In fact, I suspect that the very man Dan Walker met before this blog was one of the main reasons we lost out. As the recent revelations show, he is held in very low regard outside, as well as by many inside, the country.

Add to that, FIFA are now very wary of heavy handed Political influence after South Africa, and his presence was a recipe for disaster. Putin, I don't doubt, stayed away for that very reason.

Who was proved right?

Did Panorama put FIFA's noses out of joint? Well, that depends how 'big' we think FIFA are.

I would hate to give a view on that.........

@63, the ´óÏó´«Ã½, or as it's otherwise known the 'EBC', crypto socialist? Your avin' a laugh.............

in this country the papers/TV are the ones to blame for this, they will do anything to sell more papers or in this case for TV ratings. i cant see how else we could have lost this.

as for russia and qatar ticking the boxes, erm Qatar - over 50degrees temp in summer, alcohol ban etc. Russia - not got the infastructure in place, cold temp, diff time zones.

England was the best place and because of the bbc its gone to Russia.


disgrace.

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#57 its a good point- why did Holland/ Belgium lose two votes between round 1 & 2- very bizarre!

Why do we have to stay in FIFA? Isn't it just a union of the Football Associations. If England, Spain, Holland, US, Australia boycott FIFA or even the World Cup - they could set up a rival association without the catastrophically bad 'delegate' voting system.

It was Becks wot lost it

Great article again! I can't believe Cameron is a Villa fan. I wonder how many of our starting eleven he can name.

Hi Dan,
Well that official #10 photo has to be one for the parent's mantle piece.
So you had your tennis ball confiscated last time you were there! Who would have imagined lil old Dan Walker the tennis kid would ever end up sitting in #10 with the PM.

I thought your response to CoalitionofTheWilting was both measured and gracious. Sometimes such a response is the powerful refutation of that kind of fairly mindless outpourings. I have no idea who Mr. Coalition is but I have met some people who, rather than stepping back from a thing they dislike, choose to jump straight in with a real joy and passion into the very thing they claim gives the opposite of joy.

Press on young Jedi, and keep eating the jelly beans and what ever else you wish. Right now I wish I had some crackers with mature cheddar and sliced, full bodied pickled onions on top. Returning to Uk in Jan so maybe then.

#66 Dan wrote: 'we are just reporting what people have been saying for a long time. Russia and Qatar tick all the FIFA boxes'

....is that a bit of back-tracking I hear? Bit of a difference from

#54 'seem nailed on for a long time' (oh well...I was really looking forward to FF, but now fear it's just gonna be the usual 'Fifa new frontiers' bilge? (sorry to stir, Dan)

What was Yelena Isinbeyava and that model doing representing the Russian bid? We had Denise Lewis at the Olympics...did we miss a trick there?

Cheryl Cole

Interesting piece on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ News Channel that suggests the 'new frontiers' (bilge - my words) isn't quite the bilge I thought...so apologies Dan. Fifa's policy of breaking new ground is heavily backed by corporate giants like certain major drinks companies - who are more keen to spread their products to developing markets than the actual game. After all the Premier League is watched the world over. Financially it makes sense for the money men but it suggests countries like ours will never host it again? Football has indeed sold it's soul which once belonged to the common man to the Devil.

So what you're essentially saying is that nobody at the ´óÏó´«Ã½ has an opinion when pushed.

You and I know there's a million holes you can prod in that argument, but the vast majority of licence fee payers wouldn't see it that way.

It seems to me, from what you've written, that the ´óÏó´«Ã½ is about to wash its hands of any of this Panorama nonsense because another arm of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ knew better anyway.

What part of what Football Focus is about to reveal wasn't 'in the public interest' when we as a nation were spending millions upon millions on what you seem to suggest was a pointless excersise?

Now you have to hunt for this blog, in favour of, let's see, a nonsense piece of Qatar, which I take it you won't be mentioning the slavery issue.

Cowards.

You're a small man with a big organisation behind you.

Dan re comment 66

You may be a tadpole now but one day you will grow into a beautiful frog

Would you still call yourself dan or something more frog appropriate?

Gutted we didnt get the world cup but all the best to the Russians and hope they do a good job, of the tournament is as entertaining as there dancing we are on for a treat.

Ps the gazebo is staying regardless.

P p s it's okay to play Christmas songs now it's december so chris rea on repeat!

P p p s. FACE


Shmile

#80
Praise the lord for Howling Mad Murdoch coming back for some levity at the end of the day.

All arise for God Save the Queen...

Time to settle down for an Ashes marathon (should that be Snickers?). Here's hoping for a hat-trick in the first over to demoralise our Australian cousins - who will have learnt today that we are twice as popular as they are in downtown Zurich.

OOMPA LOOMPA DOOMPADEE DOO

Augustus Gloop

Wonderful - run out in the first over. Ponting out for a duck would be nice. Yes! Before I could click on send, he's out for a duck!

Coalition needs to do whatever it is that cheers him up and come back with a smile tomorrow after all that suppressed rage (well maybe not so suppressed) coming out this evening.

Veruca Salt

Not bothered about England 2018 now... thoroughly cheered up by the Ashes.

Ricky Ponting... quack, quack, quack.

It's very easy to lay the blame on Panorama,Sunday Times and any other meeja outlet that has had a go at FIFA.The point is that the clandestine way these things are chosen makes it easy to machine gun the blame around.

Plinny the Younger

Coalition of the Wilting,
Be a decent chap and find a blog dedicated to pursuits and managed by people you can get along with. You have become repetitive and boring in maintaining your offensiveness.

NOW GOT TO CHECK OUT WHAT IS BEHIND SURREYBLOKE123'S ASHES REMARKS.

ANYONE KNOW WHAT PONTING AND STRAUSS SAID TO ONE ANOTHER AT STUMPS AS THE PLAYERS LEFT THE PITCH?

Sorry dan know this is footie b log and so on.

I imagine it went along the lines of, "Good days play old bean, will convene upstairs and reminiss over some whiskey".

yeah definitely think that was it.

If that had been in the Premier League, they'd have been thrusting their chests out and putting forehead to forehead.

I wonder if all the Premier League games will go ahead this weekend. We could do with a repeat of last weekend to take football fans' minds off yesterday in Zurich.

Timmy Mallett

Who says Politics & Football should never mix? I think Mr Cameron would make a good football manager, by bringing a little more Eton discipline into the game - cold showers, regular beatings from the older chaps & fags - although personally I believe that smoking should be positively discouraged - unless it's just at half time of course. Maybe Mr Capello could take a leaf out of his book, after all he is already very chummy with Silvio Berlusconi & he seems like an upstanding individual.

It was good of Prince William to take time out from his wedding plans to be in Zurich too, although I'm sure there are lots of people on his staff pouring over the seating plan as we speak. Imagine getting an invite & having to sit next to Prince Philip?

And what more can be said about Becks? The most successful footballer to have ever come out of Essex & a fantastic brand of beer named after him. Such versatility. What an ambassador he is for the country.

On a loosely related note, reading that story about those poor people who were forced to spend all night on a train in the snow reminded me of the time that our mini-bus back from Lincoln City on Boxing Day broke down & we were forced to take refuge in a farmer's hay-loft overnight. It was minus 7 & some developed a mild case of hypothermia. Great days.

Is there anything that the ´óÏó´«Ã½ can do to put pressure on these train operating companies to get their act together? After all we all pay a licence fee.

Brilliant show today dan. Hats off to you, lawro and Englands number 9

MB